Alberta has now issued 1,209 invitations to Express Entry candidates to apply for a provincial nomination so far in 2021.
Alberta held a new draw on April 6, inviting Express Entry candidates to apply for a provincial nomination.
Through the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP), the Province invited a total of 200 Express Entry candidates to apply for the Alberta Express Entry stream. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score requirement was 302, one point more than the previous two draws.
In order to be invited in Alberta’s new Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw, candidates needed to have a profile in the Express Entry system.
It is possible to immigrate through the Express Entry system without a provincial nomination, however, people who have lower CRS scores may opt for a PNP. Provincial nominees automatically get 600 points added to their overall score, more than enough to be invited in a subsequent Express Entry draw.
If the lowest-scoring candidates in the new Alberta draw receive the nomination, their new CRS scores will be 902.
This enhanced PNP is for Express Entry candidates who have strong ties to Alberta, or who can support the government’s economic development and diversification priorities. During the pandemic, Alberta is only considering candidates who are already living and working in the province.
Candidates also need to have work experience in an eligible occupation. The AINP only provides a list of occupations that are ineligible for the stream’s requirements.
On November 1, 2020, the federal government increased the number of occupations that are not eligible to apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment in Alberta. However, candidates who received an invitation on or after November 1, 2020 can still be selected through the Alberta Express Entry Stream, even if they are working in an occupation that the federal government will not process an LMIA for.